Extended browser data storage

• US 8,041,778 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2007
• Issued: 10/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Krabach, Todd, Isaacs, Scott M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Strange; Aaron
• Assistant Examiner(s): EDWARDS, JAMES A
• Application Number:
  US11/789,862
• Publication Number:
  US 20080270527A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 709/218
• US Class Current: 709/218
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

A technique for a server application to store data in excess of a standard-size cookie on a client system. The technique employs a client-side abstraction layer that stores the data in a plurality of cookies associated with sub-domains associated with the server application. The technique further provides for the retrieval and aggregation of data stored in the plurality of cookies associated with sub-domains. The technique can be transparent to the server and a client-side browser. Through the technique, server applications can store data such as personal information and/or preferences in excess of a standard-size cookie.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for extending client data storage of browser cookie data, comprising:

determining an amount of information to be stored on a client device in the form of a cookie based at least upon a request from a server associated with a domain;

creating one or more sub-domains of the domain based upon the determined amount of information to be stored if the determined amount of information exceeds a size limit for cookies associated with a single domain;

associating respective sub-domains with a respective cookie;

storing a first portion of the information in a first cookie associated with a first sub-domain; and

storing a second portion of the information in a second cookie associated with a second sub-domain, if the determined amount of information exceeds a size limit for a single cookie.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the one or more sub-domains being created on the client device.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the one or more sub-domains and associated cookies being transparent to at least one of an application associated with the domain and a browser configured to access the server associated with the domain.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving the information to be stored on the client device from an application associated with the domain; and

serializing the information into a string, a first portion of the string written to the first cookie and a second portion of the string written to the second cookie.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, comprising:

adding an end-of-file indicator to a cookie storing an end portion of the string to indicate that an end of the string has been reached.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a request to access the information stored in the one or more cookies from an application associated with the domain;

extracting the information from the one or more cookies;

organizing the extracted information if the information is stored in two or more cookies; and

providing the organized information to the application.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

employing a hidden inline floating frame of a browser to at least one of create the cookies associated with at least one sub-domain and store at least some of the information in one or more cookies.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, respective inline floating frames exposing at least one of a function for getting, a function for setting, and a function for deleting a value of at least one of the cookies associated with a sub-domain.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 1, storing the first portion of the information in the first cookie and storing the second portion of the information in the second cookie comprising storing the information in the first and second cookies sequentially.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 1, storing the first portion of the information in the first cookie and storing the second portion of the information in the second cookie comprising storing the information in the first and second cookies in parallel.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 1, the size limit for cookies associated with the single domain comprising four kilobytes.

12. A computer-implemented client data storage system, comprising:

an abstraction layer situated on a client device and configured to receive data yielded from a server associated with a domain and to store the received data in one or more cookies, a number of cookies used to store the received data depending at least upon a size of the data to be stored and size limitations of cookies associated with a single domain, and, if portions of the data are to be stored in two or more cookies, the abstraction layer configured to create one or more sub-domains of the domain, respective sub-domains associated with a respective cookie.

13. The system of claim 12, the abstraction layer configured to aggregate the data yielded from the server and to serialize the aggregated data into a string.

14. The system of claim 13, the abstraction layer configured to store a first portion of the aggregated data in a first cookie associated with a first sub-domain and to store a second portion of the aggregated data in a second cookie associated with a second sub-domain.

15. The system of claim 12, the abstraction layer configured to receive a request from a browser for the data stored in the one or more cookies, to extract the data from the one or more cookies, to organize the extracted data if the data stored in the one or more cookies is stored in multiple cookies, and to provide at least one of the data stored in the one or more cookies and the organized data to the browser.

16. The system of claim 12, the abstraction layer a component of a library associated with a browser in operable communication with the server associated with the domain.

17. The system of claim 12, the abstraction layer configured to employ a hidden inline floating frame of a browser in operable communication with the server associated with the domain.

18. The system of claim 12, the abstraction layer configured to employ a plurality of inline floating frames of a browser in operable communication with the server associated with the domain, respective inline floating frames configured to expose at least one of a function for getting, a function for setting, and a function for deleting a value of one of the cookies.

19. A computer readable storage media comprising computer executable instructions that when executed via a microprocessor perform a method, comprising:

creating, based upon an amount of data, associated with a domain, to be stored on a client device, one or more sub-domains of the domain requesting that the data be stored on the client device, a number of sub-domains a function of a number of cookies required to store the data;

storing a first portion of the data in a first cookie associated with a first sub-domain; and

storing a second portion of the data in a second cookie associated with a second sub-domain, if the data cannot be stored in the first cookie in its entirety due at least in part to a size of the data to be stored.

20. The computer readable storage media of claim 19, comprising employing a hidden inline floating frame for respective sub-domains, a document.domain property associated with a main document of the domain and a document.domain property associated with the hidden inline floating frame for respective sub-domains is set to a same value.